"Servojohn" wrote

90% Gatorade.

You might try eating a banana on long rides or taking
calcium supplements (check with your doctor, etc...).
Did you try a quad muscle stretch?

Typically the quads are what go, but they were the "new"
quads on the inside, not the ones on the top outside.

Rarely, I used to get calf muscle cramps on a low bottom
bracket recumbent. Stretching them out helped a bit. Hasn't
been a problem recently.

As I mentioned, I've only been putting in 75 miles a
week since mid summer, so this was
a test of where I am physically, if nothing else.

Like you say, most likely fatigue.

A few weeks ago, a friend brought a friend along for
our Saturday morning ride. He was an experienced duatholon
racer (run-bike-run) and sprinted ahead of us on a number of
hills early on, though he was never more than a few hundred feet
ahead.. He had leg cramps off and on from about 24 miles until
we got back (about 40 miles total). He also became somewhat
uncomfortable on his upright seat. He was almost certainly more
fit overall than I, but perhaps less experienced in endurance and
distance rides.

If I have a long distance to cover, I watch my heart rate monitor
to stay in my aerobic range on average. I find it a pretty good
indicator of my overall exertion level and I know what I can
generally sustain. I snack to replenish calories frequently and
drink a bit more than I think I need. I may not get there fast...

Jon Meinecke